Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed that Cole Palmer is a doubt for Monday night’s Premier League game against Wolverhampton Wanderers due to injury.
The lazy playmaker scored his 14th goal of the season against Bournemouth on Tuesday, sending goalkeeper Mark Travers to the turf with a mischievous dummy before finding the back of the net.
However, as Maresca explained to the assembled press on Friday afternoon, Palmer suffered many setbacks in a physical 2-2 draw. “Cole is a doubt,” admitted the Italian. “The first half [of the last game] They kicked him so he couldn’t train today.
“We don’t know if he will train in the next two days,” Maresca added.
Chelsea have been accused of relying too much on Palmer. The English playmaker has either scored or assisted 20 Premier League goals this season – almost half of the team’s total (49%). Still, Maresca was confident the rest of his players could adjust to the absence of their talisman.
“We rely on Cole because he is a great player,” noted the former Manchester City youth coach. “We prefer to play with Cole, but if he has an injury or a problem, we will find a solution.”
Chelsea have hardly felt the need to play without Palmer since his arrival in September 2023. The former City academy graduate has missed just two of the club’s last 56 Premier League games – once due to suspension and another time due to a cold.
Palmer is not the only first-team player whose fitness is in doubt ahead of Monday’s visit of Wolves. First-choice centre-back Levi Colwill, who – like Palmer – is virtually ubiquitous in the Premier League, is in danger of being dropped at a stroke.
Regularly absent Romeo Lavia and vice-captain Enzo Fernandez are also struggling with muscle fatigue.